Capture

Chapter 2: Separated

Chapter 2: Separated 

The wooden chairs were stiff and worn. Nervous air filled the hallways. My own knees were bouncing up and down as I tried to rein in the shaking that was trying to take over the rest of my body. The other humans were slouched in their own hard seats as well. The linoleum floors were scuffed down the middle footpath between me and a middle-aged man. The man glared at my twitching leg, but I could tell he was just as scared as the rest of us every time the guards switched their weight onto a different foot.

The rest of my family had to be somewhere in the building facing the same fear.

I tried to keep my gaze downward towards my old shoelace-less sneakers. They were once a vibrate blue and I would wear them everywhere, even though they never matched anything and, that fact alone, would drive my mom nuts.The rest of my clothing consisted of a stained primary school sweatshirt and a pair of dirt caked jeans. The clothing was old and torn from the time I had spent with the rest of my family in hiding.

I stopped bouncing my legs in favour of twisting my temporary identifier bracelet around my wrist. It was made of thin but durable plastic like the kind people used to wear at amusement parks. Written on it in simple black block letters were my birth date and my waiting number to be processed.

The guards weren't here for our protection, they were here to contain us. The Natural beings wore no safety or protection gear. Not a single one carried a weapon on them. They dressed in street clothing.

If the world was still the way I knew it to be, which it wasn't, they wouldn't stick out all that much in a social setting. Their faces were proportionate, bodies strong. If someone had gotten too close they would have noticed though, that there was a weird feeling coming off of them that made people uncomfortable and unsettled.

A guard jumped up making all of the humans in the hall flinch and shuffle as close to the walls as possible. I peaked up through the corner of my eye, wishing that it wasn't a requirement to have to pull your hair back in presence of a Natural being.

Another number was read over the intercom and a boy that looked my sister's age stood up from his chair. I stared at his face, trying to keep it to memory. I wondered if he had lived in town, or if he had gone to our school. Or if he had been traveling through when the Naturals seized him. Maybe he had been separated from his family, like me.

The boy speedily walked over to the guard. We all had experienced that all Naturals are impatient and have terrible tempers, especially when it can to humans doing anything.

The guard grabbed the boy's shirt collar and pulled him into a room. An action that had unnecessary force written all over it. Another guard came out to take his place, wearing basic dark denim and clean cotton.

I moved my hands to my face but realized a second latter that I didn't have my glasses. They took my glasses along with my shoelaces.

Numbers were read out over the scratchy speakers again. Looking down I checked my wrist and my stomach flipped. I was next.

Shaking, I stood up and walked to the nearest door, the same one I had watched the boy and many other people go through all day. As I approached, the guard tensed. Like the many other people, I must not have smelled to hot. But instead of forcing me to my doom, he scared me.

The guards hand gently rested on my back and almost made me have a spaz attack. He moved his hand along my shoulder and down my arm. I didn't dare look a Natural in the eye and I didn't plan to any time soon, but as he paused I knew that was what he wanted. But that was what he wasn't going to get, willingly at least.

Don't do it bucko, I thought to myself. I was about ready to sprint down the hall and to the nearest exit when he sniffed the air again and grabbed ahold of my hand.

Nothing happen for awhile. He was breathing heavily, and rather loudly, through his nose. I know I wasn't breathing. I could feel the stares from all the humans in the hall on my back.

Then he dropped my hand. and I breathed in relief as I was shoved through the door into a room I have never seen a human leave. As me and McCreepy-Almost-Mate entered the room, another guard awkwardly skweesed past us and left. I was then pushed down into a chair across from a Natural woman.

"That took long that usual, Clark," the woman snapped as she ruffed through the folders before her.

"I want papers on every single person she has come in contact with in the last twenty four hours," Clark, the Natural guard, demanded.

Not even looking up,the woman said,"We have only had her in our custody since the passed eight hours. That is simply not something I can do."

"Then what do you what me to do! My mate has been around her!" the Natural man's voice rose and quickly became angry.

With a deep breath, the Natural woman raised her head and looked at the guard.

"I suggest that you remain calm and professional while at work-,"she began.

"But-," he started at her.

The woman didn't seem to like being interrupted,"-and if that is not something you can handle, then I suggest that you leave and retrace her footsteps."

Throwing his hands in the air, the guard left. During the conversation I had all but been forgotten. Now I had the Natural woman's full attention.

And I thought my heartrate was fast in the hallway.